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Posted by: ftwflh
Cant beat an automatic.I have had very little trouble out of mine what trouble I have had was due to my stupidity.
Posted by: Kodiac400
Hello. I'm not sure which auto your looking at but I have an 02 Kodiak and absolutely love it. I use it for trail, mud, hunting and plowing. I've had no problems at all. You will especially enjoy the auto when hunting. It rolls along great, if you need more or less speed it is easily done.
The only time I ever had slipping problems is when my snorkles come loose from the engine letting water it. Now I make it a point to check the clamps on a weekly basis.
Good luck and happy shopping.
Posted by: bbertram
I was always the manual only guy in the past, I said I would never own a rubber band quad. Well I now have an auto, a Praire 650. Trust me, auto's have come along ways and are much more dependable and the belts will last a long time if you take care of them and use the proper range.
Out of the quads you listed, the Rancher has a real rough riide, my friend has one and he always stands up to drive it. The Suzuki is nothing special. The Kodiak 400 is OK but the 450 is much better. Take a look at the Kawasaki 360 too, it might interest you. Also the outlander 330 and 400 are nice quads, they look funky but are great quads.
Posted by: bbertram
Ramg66:
Suzuki is nothing special compared to the rest of its class, talking about the Vinson here. It doesn't have a locker, the ride is OK and the power is really good. While it has to compete against all quads 500cc's and larger it really needs a locker to compete. If you look in my sig I do own a Z400 so I know its really good. I'm not dogging Suzuki or their quads just how the Vinson compares to the rest, it offers nothing special.
Posted by: bbertram
The Eiger is a nice quad, I haven't seen it in action myself and the Honda's are always over priced. I would look at the Kodiak 450.
Posted by: bbertram
My friend has a Kodiak 400 and it seems to be durable and not issues with it so far. He put on 27" 589's from the dealer and so far no trouble, he has plenty of power to turn them. What he does wish he had was the front locker, its night and day difference. If you plan on running bigger tires and ride in alot of mud then I really recommend the 450, if you want to work and play but not go all out mud boggin then the Kodiak 400 should do well, so would the Eiger 400.
You may also want to look at the Outlander 400 from Bombadier, it might be more money I'm not sure but its also a very nice quad!!
Posted by: upnort
I have a sp500 and have used it to haul logs, trailer (17 cu. ft.), ride trails, mud. Only time had any clutch related trouble is when I was up to the seat (stuck) on a stump and had to sit long enough to winch out. Got water in clutch. I like the auto. Since it has a hi/lo going from woods to road have to stop and move selector to hi.
Posted by: Specta
If they didn't make automatics, I wouldn't own an ATV. I think the trick to never having problems when working them in knowing when to use low-range. Belt or no belt, when used right they are very trouble free.
Posted by: Ramg66
Im with chunky, all the way.
Posted by: Ramg66
Out the door means tax and everything.
Posted by: Ramg66
Yea the suzuki's are nothing special, they just keep winning all the shootouts.....
Posted by: Ramg66
lets see Eiger has won all the shootouts its been in, the ozark is the best 250cc (in its class), the Vinson was ATV of the year, and lets not forget the badass Z400....................."suzuki is nothing special" maybe you mean blue light special Kmart style.....
Posted by: Ramg66
You should be able to get the Eiger for a better price, I got mine with 4x4 for $5100 Out the door, the Kodiak 450 is better but for the price I would get a praire 650, you know what I mean?
Posted by: BigBearFX
manual shift, i wouldnt go any other way (maybe es)
Posted by: Predator03
We've ridden our Sportsman 500's in water covering the tires, we've never had a belt slip. Our's or 2002 models and they are sealed up pretty good. Maybe the older models had problems, but not the newer ones. From what I've read, people have belts slip when they don't use low when they ought to. That isn't the machines fault. We have over 7000 miles riding in the mountains of Tennessee with no problems. I've ridden with Eigers, Kodiaks, Ranchers and the like. After you have seen those people get wore out riding them, you will appreciate your IRS. It's ok to defend the machine you buy, but you can't compare the straight axle ride to the independent.
My son, dad and niece all ride 500's, we are buying mama a new one real soon. I trust the machine enough to feel comfortable with them on it. I can't say that for alot of other ones.
Posted by: Predator03
I didn't have to ride them. I rode behind them all day, watching the machine and the terrain beat them up. It's rough and rocky where we ride, and if you don't have a good suspension underneath you, your body bears the brunt. The ranchers I've ridden with were by far the worse. Ride behind a machine with IRS and you'll see what I mean. We ride all the time with a guy who had a Rancher, then a Prairie. He used to laugh at us on our Polaris. That is, until he rode behind us. He now owns a 700 Sportsman. He wishes it had the acceleration of the Prairie, but sacrfices that for the ride. We do plenty of rides of 10-12 hours, not gravel road, or smooth trail riding. On his previous machines he would be pretty beat up, with his new one, that is not the case.
Buy the machine you like, but you cannot compare the ride of IRS to that of a straight axle. Especially on a utility.
Posted by: scramxman
None of mine are used for any "work". I do know a lot of people using autos on the farms around me without a bit of trouble. Can't give any insight from personal experience though.
Posted by: stubblejumper
My rubicon is primarily a work quad and I bought it because of the hydrostatic transmission more than any other reason.I find that being in the right gear all the time and having such a smooth transmission makes it a better work machine. On the other hand I do differentiate between the two honda automatic transmissions and the belt drive that other manufacturers use.I myself would trust a manual transmission more than a belt drive for a work machine.
Posted by: yamaguy
smokinbarrel, I have a Grizzly and have had absolutely no problems with the belt slipping. I've had it buried in water/mud up to the bottom of the gas tank and pulled the tranny drain plug just to make sure the belt wasn't wet and not a drop came out. Autos are real nice on long rides or when your doing alot of stop and go riding......just mash the gas and go......no shifting required.If you're going to do ALOT of heavy towing I might suggest a manual but the autos are o.k. in my opinion for average everyday towing. I pulled a friend of mine's atv back to camp with her on it after it broke down out in the middle of the woods and it took about an hour to get back but I had no problems with the belt slipping. Another thing to consider is that when the time comes to perform maintainence on the tranny do you want to replace things such as gears, shift forks, clutch plates etc. or simply adjust or replace a $40 belt. There are simply more moving parts in a manual tranny than on an auto. Another suggestion.......if you can afford it, buy a quad with IRS......you won't regret it unless you like to do alot of doughnuts in the sand. One disadvantage to the Rubicon is that it's always in 4wd......I don't think it has a 2/4 engagement switch. I also talked to a friend of mine who used to sell Hondas and he said that they had some trouble with the Rubicon trannys. I can't say I know that to be true from personal experience, just what I heard. If you do buy an auto, USE LOW RANGE when towing or traversing steep hills or you might experience premature wear on the belt. Hope this helps in your decision.
Posted by: yamaguy
smokinbarrel, out of the three choices you mentioned, I'd go with the Kodiak 450.......it has a locking front differential, which, believe me, helps when you get stuck. There have been times on my Grizz where the only reason I was able to get out of the situation I was in was because of the locking front differential. I highly recommend it. Yes, IRS stands for independent rear suspension.......also highly recommended in my book, although quads with straight rear axles seem to be a little more stable on steep side hill inclines......just my opinion. If you can wait, take the time and save up a little more money and get the 450 or better yet the Grizz.....you won't regret it as long as you don't get a lemon, which could happen with any brand, (especially Kawasaki). If you have any more questions please feel to ask or you can I.M. me. I also believe you're right about Polaris being less than dependable. I've read more bad things about Polaris than any other brand. Plus they're heavy and a little more expensive too. Good luck.
Posted by: Coyotechaser
I prefer a semi auto because I like choosing what gear I want to be in instead of a machine doing it for me. To each his or her own.
Posted by: chunky
auto all the way
Posted by: MPMAN21
Is it safe to say that most problems with the belts seem to be water getting in them and they start slipping? In depth, how much water can the Kodiak run though without problems? For my use, I would only drive though water less than 6 inches deep across our creek. Should this be a problem?
Posted by: MPMAN21
Yes, "IRS" = Independent Rear Suspension. Now, the Kodiak's do not have IRS in the back, but they do have it in the front. I have road both the 400 Kodiak and the 450 and both are pretty sweet. As soon as I can get my trailer hitch installed on my car, I will be bringing one of them home myself (though I am not sure which yet) Here are the best prices I have found around Missouri.
Kodiak 400 2wd = $3950 Out the door
Kodiak 400 4wd = $4650 Out the door
Kodiak 450 4wd = $5300 Out the door
These are from www.procycleusa.com in Columbia Missouri.
Its a really big decision, but for this big of $'s, take your time making your decision and ride them before you buy, if you haven't already. Be sure to get the one you want. Don't forget, when you get your title, you will have to pay sales tax too, just like your car.
Posted by: SmokinBarrel
My planned breakdown in ATV usage:
40% Work (hauling deer, logs, snow plow(ing), plowing (food plots))
60% Easy Riding (hunting, fishing, backpacking)
Bottomline, I really like the auto's, but will go manual if any hint of problem may arise from using auto in working conditions. What do you suggest?
Thanks,
St. Louis, MO
Posted by: SmokinBarrel
Here's the scoop! Looking at prices, my picks are the Kodiak 400 4x4, Suzuki Eiger 4x4, or the Honda Rancher 4x4. I would like to get the new Rancher coming out `04 (400 cc, AT model), but I don't think many dealers will deal, being that it is a new model. So, from what I gather most people don't have problems with their belt shifter, direct drive systems. So, I suppose I'll pick the Kodiak or Eiger. The Kodiak sure gets alot of good reviews! It may be hard to beat. Not a bad price either. But, the Eiger sure is a big ATV for the dollars.
My hands down pick would be the Honda Rubicon, all hydraulic clutch <== I think that's right. Anyway, it would be the best choice for what I plan to use it for, plus it doesn't have a belt. I can live with the belt system, but it does make me nervous, especially if I decided to cross a deep water hole or mud puddle.
What about the old clutch system (semi-auto)? Is this type of system dependable? Or, do they have problems, for instance the gear or clutch wears out easily?
Posted by: SmokinBarrel
Predator- What did you think of the Eiger and Kodiak after riding them?
Posted by: SmokinBarrel
Yamaguy- Thanks for the info!! I believe I'm leaning torwards the Kodiak 400 or 450, or the Eiger 400. Basically, it will come down to which one offers the best price. I've been looking into a Polaris, but, I just can't bite on one, because of past history and stories about their mechanical dependability. "IRS" = Independent Rear Suspension?? correct?
Posted by: SmokinBarrel
Ram66 & bbertram- What about the Suzuki Eiger 400 4x4? Would you consider this ATV over the Vinson? I was quoted $6000 for a Vinson today, and $5400 for a Suzuki Eiger! What a rip-off! The Suzuki Eiger should be $5300 MRSP. This guy was a jackoff! Man, I'm tempted to travel in order to purchase at no hassle prices out-the-door! Man, I can't stand salesmen!! Anyway, I believe I'll go with the Suzuki Eiger, Kodiak 400/450 (depending on price), or the new Rancher AT, if it is priced right.
Posted by: SmokinBarrel
Just quoted.....Suzuki 400 4x4 Auto 2002 @ 4800.00.
Just quoted.....Honda 450 Foreman ES 2002 @ 5699.00.
The Honda seems High?
Posted by: SmokinBarrel
bbert- I like the Kodiak 450, in fact, it would be a top two pick for me, but it's a bit higher than I want to pay. The Kodiak 400 is probably what I'll end up with. What do you think about the Kodiak 400?
Posted by: HondaLover1985
i think u should look at the manual with the push button shifing. I have a foreman 450 esp and we use it on the farm and its nice to be able to keep it in a low gear for the power. Also i mean if u want crusing i know the foreman is a great comfort and its speed isnt bad mine goes 50mph so i would look at the manual
Posted by: messickzr
I am sort of new to ATV's and have been debating the manual vs auto trans. I currently beleive a manual is best for me, but correct me if I am wrong. It seems to me it would be easier to maintain a constant a speed when using the ATV for certain applications such as spraying weeds and pulling a mower. Any thoughts?
